The Hanshin Tigers want a chance to speak directly with Chihiro Kaneko (31), but were told by his agent that he will only meet with the top teams. The Tigers believe that means they will have to one of a handful of teams remaining after Kaneko narrows down his options. The Tigers are expected to offer a three-year deal, but could also go to four years. Source: Sponichi 12/18/2014 ... The Tigers could offer Kaneko two kinds of multi-year deals: a two-year contract with posting and a longer term contract that could go up to four years. They could also offer the uniform number eighteen. Source: Sports Hochi 12/18/2014 ... The Tigers understand they may have to revise their offer a number of times before reaching an agreement. Source: Daily Sports 12/18/2014

The media learned on Wednesday that the Yakult Swallows received a list of protected players from the Yomiuri Giants on Monday. The Swallows are planning to make a decision on their compensation for losing Ryoji Aikawa after Lotte and Nippon Ham decide on their compensation for Yoshihisa Naruse and Keiji Obiki. Source: Sanspo 12/18/2014, Sponichi 12/18/2014

The Chiba Lotte Marines are still hoping to decide on their compensation for losing Yoshihise Naruse before the end of the year. Source: Sanspo 12/18/2014

The Yakult Swallows could try to snag a veteran outfielder from the Yomiuri Giants as compensation for losing Aikawa. Yakult could have their eye on players like Yoshinobu Takahashi, Yano Kenji, or Tetsuya Matsumoto.

Ryoji Aikawa (38) met with the Yakult Swallows on Friday to formally turn down their offer and to let them know that he was planning to sign with the Yomiuri Giants.

Aikawa first met the Yomiuri Giants on the 13th. He did not receive an offer, but was told he would have a chance to compete for the everyday job at catcher. He met the Giants again on the 16th and was most likely offered a one-year contract worth an estimated sixty million yen and the uniform number 23.

The Giants are also said to have reached a deal with Tatsuhiko Kinjo (38). The Yokohama Bay Stars announced that Kinjo will not be participating in fan appreciation day and posted the following statement from the veteran:

To the fans,

I was able to play for the Yokohama Bay Stars for sixteen years because you supported me by cheering for me while I was on the field. There were good times and bad times. Regardless of how things were going, your cheering never changed. Your warm cheering gave me strength.

I am very sorry, but I will not be able to properly say goodbye to you as I leave this team. I will never forget the appreciation I have for you and will pursue my baseball career to the fullest.

Thank you very much for the sixteen years.

Yomiuri is expected to hold a press conference for both players in early December.

Five NPB teams, including the Hanshin Tigers, are interested in Hiroyuki Nakajima (32). The Tigers may have offered 1.2 billion yen over four years. The other four teams could be Seibu, Chunichi, Yokohama, and Orix. A Tigers' official told reporters they feel their offer needs to be the best. Source: Daily Sports 11/20/2014 ... Nakajima is currently training in the United States. According to Sanspo, Nakajima's family left for the United States on the 19th for a "family meeting." A decision could be made soon. A person close to Nakajima told reporters there was a seventy to eighty percent chance he would sign with the Tigers. Hanshin could send someone to the US in early-December to finalize negotiations. Source: Sanspo 11/20/2014

An unnamed person with connections to an AL West team: He's probably a fourth starter. ... Fewer teams will be involved if the posting fee reaches twenty million. Around ten million would be reasonable. ... Considering Kaneko's age, a three-year deal seems appropriate. But at three years, a twenty million posting fee is too high.

The Hanshin Tigers will only move on Kaneko if he wants to stay in Japan.

The Chunichi Dragons will likely hold off on reaching out to Kaneko until after team rep Kazuo Nishiyama returns from his trip to the Dominican Republic.

The Chunichi Dragons will wait to contact Kaneko until after the Suzuki Japan All-Star Series.

Motonobu Tanishige is willing to get involved in negotiations.

The Hanshin Tigers would like to make an offer if the opportunity presents itself. Their biggest concern is what Kaneko is trying to accomplish by exercising his option. They may decide to approach him after they see how Orix handles the situation.

Softbank and Rakuten are also interested.

The Orix Buffaloes are also planning to resume negotiations after the Suzuki Japan All-Star Series.

Buffaloes' team official Ryuzo Setoyama told reporters on Friday that Kaneko has not contacted them and they have not contacted him. He also said they have yet to talk about posting him.

Obiki felt passion behind Yakult's request to join them and was pleased that they valued his leadership and personality; he did not notice the colors of Manaka's tie at first, but was happy when he did.

Obiki is expected to meet Orix this week and Rakuten next week on the 16th.

Obiki is not planning to meet each team more than once.

There is a good chance the Rakuten Eagles will offer a larger package (years and yen).

Aikawa wants to play for a team that will give him a shot at winning the everyday catching job.

The Yakult Swallows are planning to go with Yuhei Nakamura at catcher next season.

The Yomiuri Giants are willing to give Aikawa a chance to win the everyday job. He will most likely be competing against Seiji Kobayashi.

Aikawa is not planning to return to the negotiating table with Yakult.

There are no other teams currently interested in Aikawa.

Aikawa could finalize his decision some time next week.

The Giants could offer a one-year deal worth around seventy million yen plus incentives. Aikawa earned 110 million yen with the Swallows this year. Their last offer may have been an estimated eighty million yen.

A number of MLB teams could be interested, including the Nationals, Red Sox, Astros, Royals, and Blue Jays. Source: Sponichi 11/13/2014

Chihiro Kaneko

Team official Ryuzo Setoyama is expected to meet team owner Yoshihiko Miyauchi on the 18thi to talk about Kaneko. Source: Sponichi 11/13/2014

The Red Sox had five scouts, including international scouting director Eddie Romero, check on Kaneko during the season. Other teams that could also be interested: Rangers, Cubs, and Diamondbacks. Source: Nikkan Sports 11/13/2014

The Chunichi Dragons could be mulling over the idea of offering Kaneko a one-year deal that would be worth an estimated 200 million yen (no change from this season) plus a signing bonus and the chance to be posted any time after the 2015 season. Source: Sports Hochi 11/13/2014

The Yomiuri Giants are scheduled to meet Yakult's Ryoji Aikawa (38) on Thursday (11/13) and Yokohama's Tatsuhiko Kinjo (38) on Saturday (11/15). Source: Sponichi 11/13/2014 ... The Giants are expected to offer Aikawa a one-year deal. Source: Sanspo 11/13/2014 ... Yomiuri met Aikawa at a hotel in Tokyo on Thursday. There are currently no plans for Aikawa to return to the negotiating table with Yakult. Source: Daily Sports 11/13/2014 ... Aikawa's meeting with the Giants lasted about an hour. No specific contract terms were discussed. Source: Sponichi 11/13/2014

The Yakult Swallows will most likely offer Yoshihisa Naruse (29) a three-year deal worth about 600 million yen, along with the number seventeen, and Keiji Obiki (30) a three-year deal around 300 million yen. Naruse is expected to sign with the Swallows. Obiki will most likely talk to other teams, like Rakuten and Orix, before making a decision. Source: Sanspo 11/13/2014 ... Yakult met Obiki in the AM and Naruse in the PM. Source: Daily Sports 11/13/2014 ... Negotiations with Obiki lasted about forty minutes. He was most likely offered a multi-year deal worth more than seventy million yen a year. He may have also been offered the uniform number one. Source: Daily Sports 11/13/2014 ... Negotiations with Naruse lasted about thirty minutes. He was offered a three-year deal and the number seventeen. Source: Daily Sports 11/13/2014... Naruse and Obiki were both offered three-year deals. Source: Daily Sports 11/13/2014 ... Obiki is expected to meet with Rakuten and Orix. Source: Sponichi 11/13/2014

The Seibu Lions could inform Eiichi Koyano (34) of their interest in him on the 17th. Source: Daily Sports 11/13/2014

Atsushi Nomi (35) will most likely stay put. Source: Nikkan Sports 11/1/2014 ... The Tigers may have offered Nomi a three-year deal during discussions that took place during the season. Source: Sponichi 11/1/2014

Chunichi Dragons

Daisuke Yamai (36) is planning to stay with the Dragons. He may have agreed to a three-year deal worth a total of about 400 million yen. The contract will be finalized on the 5th. Source: Daily Sports 11/1/2014

There is a good chance Tatsuhiko Kinjo (38) will exercise his FA option. The Bay Stars are not planning to leave their offer on the table if Kinjo exercises his option. Source: Sports Hochi 11/1/2014

Yakult Swallows

Ryoji Aikawa (38) wants to test the FA waters and is planning to exercise his option. He has already informed the Swallows and could file the necessary paperwork on Tuesday. Yakult is open to negotiating after he becomes a free agent. The Yomiuri Giants could be interested. Source: Daily Sports 11/1/2014 ... Aikawa is looking for a shot at winning the everyday catching job. Source: Nikkan Sports 11/1/2014

The Tigers are interested in Motohiro Shima and Naoki Miyanishi. Source: Sanspo 10/20/2014

Hiroshima Carp

Eishin Soyogi and Shogo Kimura each met team official Kiyoaki Suzuki on Monday. It was their first meeting regarding the 2015 season. The two will likely be given offers during their second meeting some time next week. Source: Daily Sports 10/20/2014, Sports Hochi 10/21/2014

Yokohama Bay Stars

Veterans Daisuke Miura and Hitoshi Tamura met with team officials in Yokohama on Monday. Tatsuhiko Kinjo is also expected to meet team officials shortly. All three players have FA options. Source: Sports Hochi 10/20/2014

The Bay Stars are planning to offer, or have already offered, Masanori Hayashi a three-year contract with a large bump in salary. They met the thirty-one-year-old pitcher for their first round of negotiations on Monday. Yokohama is not planning to keep their offer on the table if Hayasahi exercises his FA option. Source: Sports Hochi 10/20/2014, Sponichi 10/21/2014

Yulieski Gourriel held a press conference in Cuba and said. "There are other goods teams like Yomiuri, but if I could pick, I would choose to return to DeNA. The manager, players, interpreter, and fans treated me well. The fans in Japan are the best." Source: Nikkan Sports 10/21/2014